*****OFFICIAL FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX THREAD***** (4 Viewers)

[The Gator]

Highlights of 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - was the 2nd to last race of the season - great battle between Hamilton and Max

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Max Verstappen And Charles Leclerc's Fight For The Win | 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

It's another Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc battle for the lead! As the two drivers went back-and-forth for the win in JeddahFor more F1® videos, visit h...

youtu.be

 

[Payne]

NASCAR is like the NFL, everyone is supposed to be average and equal. That in and of itself is boring. Those races aren’t close because of race quality imo, it’s because the cars are too similar.

I have no issue watching greatness with Max. Rather follow that than just a lump of shoeboxes going ‘round. Imo

I agree with this. Hence why I referenced "the golden years" of NASCAR. I can also understand the going in circles argument. I enjoy the road courses and short tracks because there seems to be more action, etc.

I also enjoy other forms of racing. But when I watch F1, all I see is a line of cars driving around with little to no passing.

 

[Eephus]

Competitive times from Aston Martin and Mercedes in the Friday Thursday practice sessions. Red Bull in P3 and P5 but they may be holding something back for qualifying and the race. Alpine looks better this week while Haas has fallen to the rear again.

 

[Eephus]

Verstappen P1 again in Jeddah. Leclerc tips Perez for the front row with a nice run for Alonso to slot in at P4.

18 year-old Oliver Bearman is filling in for Sainz who has appendicitis. Bearman did a credible job to put the red car in P11 which enabled Yuki to make it to Q3. He's now 2 for 2 over Ricciardo in qualifying.

 

[PIK95]

Just watching Q1 now. I feel for my boy Joey G. That was rough going through that to get no time. Chris Berman looked ok in that Ferrari!

 

[Eephus]

Just watching Q1 now. I feel for my boy Joey G. That was rough going through that to get no time. Chris Berman looked ok in that Ferrari!

I assume Zhou would have started the race from the pit lane regardless of whether or not he got a hot lap in. Sauber is better off taking the car out of parc ferme to triplecheck all the rushed repairs they had to make.

 

[The Gator]

Just watching Q1 now. I feel for my boy Joey G. That was rough going through that to get no time. Chris Berman looked ok in that Ferrari!

 

[PIK95]

Just watching Q1 now. I feel for my boy Joey G. That was rough going through that to get no time. Chris Berman looked ok in that Ferrari!

I assume Zhou would have started the race from the pit lane regardless of whether or not he got a hot lap in. Sauber is better off taking the car out of parc ferme to triplecheck all the rushed repairs they had to make.

Zhou deserves better imo. I always thought he was a good driver.

 

[Eephus]

Zhou deserves better imo. I always thought he was a good driver.

I think Zhou needs to beat Bottas in year 3 or he's finished in F1. I'm glad he's finally getting a home race in Shanghai after the cancellations because his Chinese sponsors are the main reason he's here.

Sauber has some talented young drivers who could replace him. Last year's Formula 2 champion Theo Porchaire is their reserve driver and they also have Zane Maloney in their academy. Maloney has been the most impressive driver in F2 so far this year with two race wins out of the three and a fine race from P15 to P5 in the other.

 

[The Gator]

Who finishes higher?

Bearman or Sargeant?

 

[The Gator]

Competitive times from Aston Martin and Mercedes in the Friday Thursday practice sessions. Red Bull in P3 and P5 but they may be holding something back for qualifying and the race. Alpine looks better this week while Haas has fallen to the rear again.

Seeing Merc fade in quali was a bummer, but Aston Martin and McLaren picked up the slack.

I'm going

Max
Scharles
Piastri

 

[TennesseeJed]

I am looking forward to seeing Max at Mercedes - and then watching the reactions from Mercedes fans and Max fans once they realize that they are sleeping with the enemy.

 

[TennesseeJed]

Who finishes higher?

Bearman or Sargeant?

I would take Bearwoman or Bear Grylls over Sargeant these days.

 

[thecatch]

I am looking forward to seeing Max at Mercedes - and then watching the reactions from Mercedes fans and Max fans once they realize that they are sleeping with the enemy.

We had this discussion in my Mercedes-supporting household last night. 75% of the reason I don't like Verstappen is his association with Horner, so that'd drop away. But I just couldn't pull for a team with Russell and Verstappen driving. Gross.

 

[TennesseeJed]

Apparently the drama is about to become as boring as the action on the track - Marko Helmut to stay at Red Bull (and presumably Max as well):

https://x.com/FastestPitStop/status/1766491560034619422?s=20

 

[The Gator]

That was a cool live shot of them showing Bearman but Stroll goes off track in frame

 

[Eephus]

The people who took a low number on Verstappen wins aren't looking good right now. Another dominant RBR performance with Perez pulling out a big gap over the field in a tire preservation race.

Hulkenberg's 1 point may not matter in the end but it's looking big right now because of the significant gap between the top and bottom five teams. It was a very impressive debut for Bearman who did enough to put himself in the catbird's seat for the 2025 silly season. I'd pencil him in for a Haas seat for next year.

 

[TennesseeJed]

I wonder if the Cost Cap was ultimately a bad idea for F1.

Arguably it has helped two teams - McLaren and Aston Martin.

But it has not transformed the sport into a free-for-all where any driver can win in a given race. And with the cost cap, it has prevented big money teams like Ferrari and Mercedes from reeling in Red Bull and at least making the front of the pack competitive. And even if teams like Haas or Williams had more money to throw into the sport - they would be limited on what they can spend just to catch up. So, they are really no better off now than they were before the cost cap.

 

[The Gator]

How can Charles all of a sudden get fastest lap at the end after not being able to reel in Checo at all?

 

[Skipdog77]

The people who took a low number on Verstappen wins aren't looking good right now. Another dominant RBR performance with Perez pulling out a big gap over the field in a tire preservation race.

Hulkenberg's 1 point may not matter in the end but it's looking big right now because of the significant gap between the top and bottom five teams. It was a very impressive debut for Bearman who did enough to put himself in the catbird's seat for the 2025 silly season. I'd pencil him in for a Haas seat for next year.

If you knew the historical record of my past predictions for, well...anything...this wouldn't be shocking.

Great job by Bearman, was good to see him finish in the points.

 

[Skipdog77]

How can Charles all of a sudden get fastest lap at the end after not being able to reel in Checo at all?

Hards came to him as they went on, lower fuel load later in the race means less weight, probably saved up his batteries for a specific run.

 

[Eephus]

How can Charles all of a sudden get fastest lap at the end after not being able to reel in Checo at all?

Hards came to him as they went on, lower fuel load later in the race means less weight, probably saved up his batteries for a specific run.

Also, there was unusually low tire degradation in the race so the old hards were still a good race tire at the end. Norris, Hamilton and Zhou didn't have much of a pace advantage on fresh softs.

 

[Eephus]

I wonder if the Cost Cap was ultimately a bad idea for F1.

Arguably it has helped two teams - McLaren and Aston Martin.

But it has not transformed the sport into a free-for-all where any driver can win in a given race. And with the cost cap, it has prevented big money teams like Ferrari and Mercedes from reeling in Red Bull and at least making the front of the pack competitive. And even if teams like Haas or Williams had more money to throw into the sport - they would be limited on what they can spend just to catch up. So, they are really no better off now than they were before the cost cap.

You wouldn't know it at the front but the post-cap field is much tighter front-to-back than it was last decade. The cars have been split by less than 1.5 seconds in Q1 of both races so far this year. Gaps of 3 to 5 seconds weren't uncommon in the past. Ferrari and Mercedes were outspending smaller teams by multiple factors before the changes. They still have advantages but the cap reduces it a bit. I think Aston Martin is a better example of the success of the cap than Haas is an example of its shortcomings. Say what you will about Lawrence Stroll but bringing Force India from receivership to the front half of the grid is an accomplishment that probably couldn't have happened. It's questionable whether Haas is spending up to the cap now.

Ultimately, the biggest effect of the cap has been on the profitability and asset valuation of the franchises (I know the teams hate being called franchises but that's what they are as long as they run a closed shop). The popularity of the sport has certainly helped but the cost controls have made F1 a better investment for stakeholders.

 

[Eephus]

If you've already grown bored with the 2024 F1 season, the first feature race of the MotoGP season takes place tomorrow. The US television package is much better this year with all races live on TruTV and streaming on Max.

I started watching MotoGP during the pandemic and really enjoy the series. Races are short (~30 min) and action packed. The on-board camera shots are awesome and clearly show precision and bravery of the riders.

Ducati was almost as dominant last year as Red Bull but it's never like a rerun of the Verstappen show because there are eight Ducati riders counting the customer teams. Based on today's sprint race in Qatar, Aprilla and KTM may have closed the gap because all three manufacturers finished in the podium places. Unfortunately, Honda and Yamaha still appear to be out to lunch.

 

[The Gator]

Great visual of how fast McLaren were in the high speed corners. Wild how Lando just is gonzo

https://twitter.com/hammertime4465/status/1766770597520928910?s=20

 

[The Gator]

Absolutely love these 9pm Saturday races.

Hopefully Charles lasts more than one turn this year

 

[The Gator]

everyone sliding all over the place in FP1

 

[Eephus]

everyone sliding all over the place in FP1

There are lots of support races this weekend (F2, F3, Aussie Supercars). The track will rubber in by raceday.

 

[The Gator]

Start of the weekend boys

 

[TennesseeJed]

Start of the weekend boys

Ferraris look good

 

[The Gator]

Start of the weekend boys

Ferraris look good

The Willians issues are interesting too. Has to be a bummer for Sargent.

 

[TennesseeJed]

Start of the weekend boys

Ferraris look good

The Willians issues are interesting too. Has to be a bummer for Sargent.

I'm sure it gives him a real confidence boost in his potential to hold onto that seat...

 

[Skipdog77]

Start of the weekend boys

Ferraris look good

The Willians issues are interesting too. Has to be a bummer for Sargent.

I'm sure it gives him a real confidence boost in his potential to hold onto that seat...

Defintely sucks for Sargeant as it's no fault of his, but Williams has to play the better odds. Albon scored 27 of their 28 points last year, and out-qualified Sargeant in all 22 races. Albon's also finished higher than Sargeant in both races so far this year. While not necessarily fair, it's their only choice as a team.

 

[TennesseeJed]

Start of the weekend boys

Ferraris look good

The Willians issues are interesting too. Has to be a bummer for Sargent.

I'm sure it gives him a real confidence boost in his potential to hold onto that seat...

Defintely sucks for Sargeant as it's no fault of his, but Williams has to play the better odds. Albon scored 27 of their 28 points last year, and out-qualified Sargeant in all 22 races. Albon's also finished higher than Sargeant in both races so far this year. While not necessarily fair, it's their only choice as a team.

Albon also put his car in the wall... I get the logic, but given the split between the top 5 teams and the bottom 5 teams this year, the chances of a point are slim for either driver.

 

[Skipdog77]

Start of the weekend boys

Ferraris look good

The Willians issues are interesting too. Has to be a bummer for Sargent.

I'm sure it gives him a real confidence boost in his potential to hold onto that seat...

Defintely sucks for Sargeant as it's no fault of his, but Williams has to play the better odds. Albon scored 27 of their 28 points last year, and out-qualified Sargeant in all 22 races. Albon's also finished higher than Sargeant in both races so far this year. While not necessarily fair, it's their only choice as a team.

Albon also put his car in the wall... I get the logic, but given the split between the top 5 teams and the bottom 5 teams this year, the chances of a point are slim for either driver.

It may be slim, but if it could possibly net Williams an extra point or two in the final standings and get them an additional $10-20M of prize money in the end, its the smart play and one they have to make.

 

[Eephus]

It may be slim, but if it could possibly net Williams an extra point or two in the final standings and get them an additional $10-20M of prize money in the end, its the smart play and one they have to make.

It's the correct move by Williams. There aren't many teams where there's enough of a clear-cut #1 and #2 to make a move but there also not many teams that wouldn't have a spare tub on-hand.

It's ironic that this manufacturing snafu happens the same week where Williams went public about their massive process reengineering effort this off-season.

The shocking details behind an F1 team's painful revolution

One 2024 Formula 1 car had its roots in Mircosoft Excel, such is the outdated way of working a new leadership has set about demolishing

www.the-race.com

 

[Skipdog77]

It may be slim, but if it could possibly net Williams an extra point or two in the final standings and get them an additional $10-20M of prize money in the end, its the smart play and one they have to make.

It's the correct move by Williams. There aren't many teams where there's enough of a clear-cut #1 and #2 to make a move but there also not many teams that wouldn't have a spare tub on-hand.

It's ironic that this manufacturing snafu happens the same week where Williams went public about their massive process reengineering effort this off-season.

The shocking details behind an F1 team's painful revolution

One 2024 Formula 1 car had its roots in Mircosoft Excel, such is the outdated way of working a new leadership has set about demolishing

www.the-race.com

Agree, Williams not having a spare chassis on hand is downright embarrassing for them (and F1). I get the team may be a bit strapped for money, but this kind of undercuts some of F1's arguments against letting Andretti in (i.e. wouldn't be competitive, wouldn't bring value, etc.).

 

[Eephus]

Back at his regular job, Ollie Bearman qualified 16th out of 20 in Melbourne. He was unlucky to lose hot laps due to red flags but he'll probably fall even further behind in the championship. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli qualified 2nd.

 

[The Gator]

I want to see Albon bin this car too

 

[TennesseeJed]

Yeah - I am an outlier - but I think this was a bad call by Williams. Points for the bottom-5 will be precious - I get that - but the potential for any point was statistically similar for both drivers. They will only score if drivers above them fall out of the race.

 

[The Gator]

Kravits lit into Vowels too in an interview before practice.

 

[TennesseeJed]

The other challenge for Albon - he can't be aggressive now, or in Quali

 

[Eephus]

Yeah - I am an outlier - but I think this was a bad call by Williams. Points for the bottom-5 will be precious - I get that - but the potential for any point was statistically similar for both drivers. They will only score if drivers above them fall out of the race.

The backmarker teams have to maximize their possibilities to grab points if there's attrition up front. Albon has done more than enough over the past 1+ years to show he has a better chance than Sargeant.

It sucks for the only American driver but F1 has always been a ruthless business. It's not called the Piranha Club for nothing.

 

[The Gator]

Sharles
Leiws
Max
Carlos
Oscar

 

[The Gator]

No_Mercy_4_Potatoes


That appendix was holding Sainz back.

 

[The Gator]

YUKI

 

[The Gator]

Wow, Lewis looked fast in P2 and really good on long runs.

 

[The Gator]

one of these birds is going to get it

 

[PIK95]

Yeah - I am an outlier - but I think this was a bad call by Williams. Points for the bottom-5 will be precious - I get that - but the potential for any point was statistically similar for both drivers. They will only score if drivers above them fall out of the race.

Except Sargeant is the worst driver on the grid so...

 

[Eephus]

I feel like Charlie Brown lining up for a field goal with Lucy Verstappen holding the ball